5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office

5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office

      Horror has consistently proven to be a lucrative genre at the box office, and these five films exemplify that success: Here are five classic horror movies that garnered over 200 times their production budget.

      What unites them? Low budgets, compelling concepts, and a lack of big-name stars—because the idea itself is the real draw.

      However, one film on this list did elevate its leading actress to stardom.

      Let’s get started.

      Night of the Living Dead (1968)

      Continental Distributing – Credit: C/O

      George Romero’s iconic zombie horror film was shot in black and white near Pittsburgh for under $125,000, featuring an unknown cast.

      While zombie films had existed prior, Romero’s version conveyed an unsettling tone, tight storytelling, and avoided campiness—it felt like a post-apocalyptic, fly-on-the-wall documentary, which is part of the reason it remains so watchable today.

      It grossed over $30 million—more than 200 times its production budget—and inspired numerous reboots, sequels, and imitators.

      Indie filmmaking rarely achieves greater success than this.

      The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

      Bryanston Distributing Company

      The Texas Chain Saw Massacre also thrived by maintaining a serious tone—there's a disturbingly real feeling that what’s portrayed on screen could be happening or could happen.

      Tobe Hooper created the film for less than $140,000, and it went on to earn $30.9 million. Its impact can be seen in numerous subsequent films, including X and Alien.

      It has garnered renewed attention recently, thanks to the successful Netflix series Monster: The Ed Gein Story, as the real-life Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein inspired Leatherface, the antagonist of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

      Gein also influenced the villains in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho and 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. While both are immensely profitable classics, neither reached the profitability of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which earned well over 200 times its budget.

      Halloween (1978)

      Compass International Pictures – Credit: Sony Pictures

      Halloween stands out on this list as the film that catapulted one of its leads to fame—Jamie Lee Curtis continues to thrive in her career and recently won her first Oscar for her supporting role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

      The then-couple John Carpenter and Debra Hill collaborated on the gripping, haunting script for Halloween, set in an all-American town named after Hill's own birthplace, the picturesque Philadelphia suburb of Haddonfield, New Jersey. The result is one of the most terrifying horror films of the 1970s—or any era.

      Halloween went on to earn $70 million globally and birthed a film franchise with a total of 13 films, including Halloween Ends, which Jamie Lee Curtis has claimed will be her final portrayal of Laurie Strode.

      We’ll see about that.

      The Blair Witch Project (1999)

      Artisan Entertainment – Credit: C/O

      In the early days of widespread internet access, audiences were genuinely unsure if The Blair Witch Project was a real documentary or a fictional found-footage film. The found-footage style of filmmaking was still novel, adding to the terror of The Blair Witch Project.

      Constrained by their limited budget, the filmmakers cleverly chose to leave many elements to the imagination. The most unsettling scene in The Blair Witch Project, in our opinion, features a man standing in a corner, consumed by guilt and shame.

      Filmed in Maryland for less than $1 million, it grossed an impressive $248.6 million. The Blair Witch Project led to several attempts to recapture its unique horror, but very few films have succeeded.

      Paranormal Activity (2007)

      Paramount – Credit: C/O

      Another successful entry in found-footage horror, Oren Peli’s Paranormal Activity unfolds through the lens of stationary home video camera footage. Initially filmed for $15,000, it was later purchased by Paramount, which added $200,000 to enhance the scares and introduce a new ending.

      That investment proved fruitful: Paranormal Activity made $194.2 million and resulted in several sequels.

      The impact of Paranormal Activity can be seen in many horror films, including the recent excellent film Weapons, which features almost hypnotic Ring camera and CCTV footage of children fleeing… somewhere. We don’t want to spoil the movie. However, if you’re looking for a truly chilling preview, check this out.

      If you enjoyed this list, we invite you to follow us for more similar stories.

      Main image: Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Bryanston Distributing Company

5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office 5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office 5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office 5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office 5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office

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5 Classic Horror Films That Made 200 Times Their Production Costs at the Box Office

Horror has consistently been one of the most reliable genres at the box office, and these five films demonstrate this fact: Here are five iconic horror movies that earned 200 times their production costs.